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Your craving for coffee is in your DNA

Posted: Sep 01 2016 10:24PM EDT

Video Posted: Sep 01 2016 10:24PM EDT

LOS ANGELES, CA - Whether you drink coffee by the potful or never want a second cup, the reason could be imbedded in your DNA.

According to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, you might be able to blame your preference on gene variant PDSS2. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh analyzed the medical and genetic data of over 1,000 Italians and asked them about their daily coffee consumption.

PDSS2 causes the body to metabolize caffeine more slowly, and the volunteers who had the gene variant were drinking less coffee.

We know that we can also self-regulate, so of course PDSS2 isn’t the only factor that contributes to our coffee cravings- it isn’t even the only gene. The lead author of the study explained that scientists are always exploring how our genetic makeup affects our cravings. If we can understand the biology behind our behaviors, then we can change the unhealthy ones to live better lives. Or find a gene that explains why some of us prefer our coffee as black as our souls and some of us like it sweeter than a milkshake.